GROW Nebraska® Foundation and Buy Nebraska Blog

Ogallala Bay Rum started when John Marquis (a long-time Bay Rum fan) found it increasingly difficult to find bay rum that had the scent he remembered as a kid going to the barbershop. After receiving what was reported to be among the best bay rums for Christmas 2005, and becoming disappointed in the scent after opening the bottle, it became clear there was a need for a bay rum on the market that had the familiar scent of yesteryear. What started as a company with one product in early 2006 has turned into a company with a variety of products . GROW Nebraska member, Ogallala Bay Rum, was recently featured in Parade's article Made in America: Gifts From Each of the 50 States .  This holiday season, Parade has compiled unique gifts from every state to celebrate the artisans in our local communities. Continue the article here to see the top picks from each of the 50 states. That refreshing scent from yesteryear is back with the largest selection of Bay Rum fragrance prod...

I had the nicest chat with a long-time acquaintance and colleague in the food and gift industry recently and it was a delightful trip down memory lane! I first met Susan Zink from Heartland Gourmet in the previous millennium when we were both young and “wet-behind-the-ears” Nebraska women in business. She and I served on the original Nebraska Home Based Business Advisory Board way back in about 1992 when the sleeping giant of marketing Nebraska-made products first began to wake up. It was an exciting time. Susan has been a prominent voice promoting Nebraska products for many years. Back in the “big hair and shoulder pad” year of 1994, Susan and her husband Mark bought the company. It was called Raising Dough back then, a clever name for a company that sold mixes and food products for fund raising activities. In 1996, the Zinks began manufacturing and over the years, the business has evolved into large scale operation which supplies products for both wholesale distribution and pr...

There’s a certain display in the GROW Nebraska stores that never fails to attract attention and produce giggles. I can’t help but chuckle to myself every time I see people reading the signs out loud to each other and laughing. (I mean, don’t the others with them know how to read?) What are they looking at? The delightful signs, angels and snowmen from Im’s Countryside Painting . Many of her sayings are sassy and slightly snarky. For example, “Grandchildren are God’s Reward for Not Killing Your Kids”! Each and every piece is skillfully hand made by an amazing lady, Ima Gene Mason from Tecumseh, Nebraska . Well, she admits, lately she has someone cut her boards for her but only after her third band saw gave up the ghost! Clearly, that seems reasonable. After all, she’s been painting for over 30 years now! Ima Gene knocks my socks off. She is quick witted, incredibly prolific and a super savvy business woman. Ima Gene had a wholesale company for years and before that, she had bu...

Highway 183 is Central Nebraska is a well-traveled straight shot north and south between the two main Interstate highways, I-70 and I-80. It's sometimes called a "ladder" between the two. As you travel 183, you'll see expansive skies, farmsteads, rolling cornfields and pastures punctuated with herds of cows knotted together near ponds or under the shelter of trees. About halfway between, 183 cuts right through the lakeside community of Alma, Nebraska. No one would be surprised to find a grain elevator or an implement dealer in Alma. But just a short distance off the beaten path, tucked away on the north end of Lincoln Street you'll find Murcielago , a perfume company . Now that is a surprise ! A perfume filler, as they are called, is as scarce in the Midwest as the Lamborghini model that inspired the business name! That uniqueness is part of the mystique that makes Murcielago stand out. Michelle Caspersen , an Alma native, is now the sole owner and operat...

Often times when an entrepreneur starts a business, one of the first things that must happen is the person has to sell himself . Just one look through the amazing website for Pacha Soap was, well, it was as they say, “You had me at hello.” What’s not to love about a company that was founded on the simple and heartfelt purpose to help people stay healthy and create jobs in some of the most hopeless places on the planet? I promise it will make you smile, too. Check it out at www.pachasoap.com . Pacha, by the way, rhymes with “cha-cha”, and means earth in Quechua, one of the native languages of Peru. (Peru? Stay tuned, I’ll explain.) My job as the story catcher for GROW Nebraska is both inspiring and gratifying because I get to talk to great people like Andrew and Abi Vrbas who founded Pacha Soap in Hastings, Nebraska . You can read all about them on their website but the part I take delight in discovering is that little bit more of the story behind the story. Andrew grew up in...

I’ve said it before but the best part of my job at GROW Nebraska is definitely that I get to be the story catcher! Last week I had the opportunity to visit with Alan Koelling from Simply Sunflower . I called him at his home near Ord, NE . I could practically feel the sunshine coming through the phone lines! Alan is a shining example of yet another GROW Nebraska member who is brimming with joy and passion for the work they do. I must say talking to folks like Alan is invigorating because their enthusiasm is contagious ! Alan proudly told me that he is a fourth generation farmer and rancher in an area south of Ord known as Mira Valley. I was curious enough to Google it and I can certainly understand why he is delighted to be a part of a place that has such a rich historical significance. One article even mentioned it was once explored by Lewis and Clark! One thing is for sure, the land is perfect for growing sunflowers. I can’t think of a more cheerful looking crop, can you? ...

In 1970, Mike and Renee Holen embarked on their first big-time adventure together. And what an adventure it turned out to be for the high school sweethearts! They began raising five kids on their family farm near Loomis, Nebraska ! Richard Nixon was president, a gallon of gasoline cost $.36 and the minimum wage was $1.45 per hour. They knew that farming, much like golf, is a game of skill vs. opportunity, so the name and slogan were born: “Holen One Farms – it’s a long shot ” . Mike and Renee still have that sense of adventure, a twinkle in their eyes and the same deliciously wry wit! Nearly thirty years later, when their children had grown and their busy nest was empty, Mike and Renee decided to retire from farming and tackle another long shot- the food concession business! The clever pair spent the winter building their concession trailer, perfecting their menu, and polishing their golf game. In the spring of 1999, the next leg of their adventure began. Over the next ten years ...

The first time I met Sherri Seifer in Kearney’s GROW Nebraska store, my impression was “oh my, what a hard-working woman!” She had driven in from Paxton, Nebraska and stopped by with several cases of her distinctive blue-labeled jars of deliciousness also known as Rafter 7S . When I met her, she was efficiently refilling the empty spots. I hadn’t worked in the store long when I found out refilling those shelves was something that needs to be done often! Sherri says she’s been making jelly for years but that made me curious. How long has there been jelly? Who invented it anyway? (It’s a good thing curiosity only kills the cat or I would have been dead long ago!) It turns out it’s been going on for a lot longer than most of us can imagine. In fact, it is believed it dates back to the Crusades in Europe which began in 1095! Returning soldiers brought the process of fruit preservation back from the Middle East! All I can say is thanks, guys!! Fast forward several centuries....